The reborn Queens Museum, which recently dropped "of Art" from its name, celebrated its newly expanded digs today with a ribbon cutting ceremony in advance of next week's public opening. Grimshaw Architects led the $69 million renovation, which doubled the size of the institution and created a new, 48-foot tall atrium entrance that replaces an old ice rink. The new airy space has what the Journal calls "a hanging frosted-glass 'lampshade'" below a large skylight, and walls of windows frame the iconic Unisphere in the adjacent Flushing Meadows Corona Park. In addition to studio space for artists residencies and new exhibition space, including a a 100-foot-by-40-foot curved wall, the museum will hold a cafe terrace and a new 5,000-square-foot public library. The goal is to not only draw people in with art exhibits, but get them to stay to take a class or read a book. The library won't open until 2015, but the museum starts welcoming visitors on November 9.
We've reached out for actual photos of the new building, and we will update when we get them.
· Museum Makeover in Queens [WSJ]
· Queens Museum [official]
· Queens Museum coverage [Curbed]
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